We’re on Day 68 in our countdown to the New Orleans Saints‘ season opener, which means this 68-yard touchdown pass from Taysom Hill to Rashid Shaheed is our pick for the Saints Play of the Day. You can see the play for yourself here, but here’s how Shaheed and Hill put the hurt on the Atlanta Falcons back in 2022.
Shaheed, then a little-known rookie who had missed most of the season recovering from a college knee injury, electrified the Saints offense once he was cleared to play; he scored a touchdown on each of his first two touches, once as a rusher (from 44 yards) and again as a receiver (from 58 yards). But his field-flipping score against the dirty birds in Week 15 was special. Unfamiliar with his speed, the Falcons defense gave Shaheed to much room to roam, and he made them pay for that mistake. He blazed past safety Richie Grant and left the other defenders scrambling to catch up.
Advertisement
And with quarterback Andy Dalton lined up out wide, Hill stepped up in the pocket to deliver a strike where only Shaheed could catch it. Grant leapt in a desperate bid to break up the pass, but it was out of his reach, and the rookie receiver took off for the end zone. That put the Saints up 14-0 in a game they would ultimately win 21-18, tying their all-time record with Atlanta at 54-54.
Now that’s a good way to introduce yourself. Shaheed followed up his impressive 12-game rookie year with a breakout season in 2023 — catching 46 passes for 719 yards and 5 touchdowns, with his efforts on special teams earning him a Pro Bowl nomination. Another knee injury cut his 2024 season short, but now that he’s going into a contract year in 2025, all eyes are on Shaheed as he works to level up again and prove he can be a consistent part of the Saints passing game.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Rashid Shaheed’s 68-yard touchdown catch is the Saints Play of the Day